Of Gryphons and Rain
by Witty Sarcasm
Summary: I haven't seen any Gryphon stories on here, so I made my own! I've posted this as a one-shot, but chances are I'll add on to it later. Disclaimer: I don't own! Though I wish I had a Gryphon... 'T' just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

I made my way through the forest, dodging low hanging branches and clustered bushes as best I could and trying to not trip over fallen logs or hidden rocks. I had no idea where I was and couldn't ask anyone for directions. I doubted that the tall tree I had almost run right into would have any answers as to where I was.

Where was I?! The last thing I remembered was taking a short nap under the cherry tree in my backyard. Next thing I know, I wake up, for no apparent reason, and find myself in the middle of a forest. Still underneath a cherry tree, but not anywhere in my backyard.

I'd pinched myself a few times to make sure I just wasn't having a weird dream and when I had a good number of welts, I'd begun to panic. I had no idea where I was, and more importantly, no idea how to get back to where I knew I was. So, I did what any sensible, level headed seventeen year old would do. I jumped to my feet and took off in a random direction. Probably not my best move, but I figured that I'd find somewhere that was familiar to me eventually.

That was two hours ago.

And yet, here I was, still in, what appeared to be, the same forest; going around in circles for all I knew. All the trees looked the same after awhile! And two hours was quite awhile. I was pooped. I needed somewhere to rest; somewhere preferably safe. I looked up as thunder crashed in the angry gray sky. Someplace dry too. Large, fat raindrops began to descend...quickly. I gave a content grin and lifted my head to the sky, my hazel eyes slipping closed, as the rain washed away all of the dirt and sweat from the past few hours. My shoulder length brunette hair swiftly became soaked and clung to my head and neck. I loved the rain. It cleansed and washed away all the impurities and smudges that muddied up a person's appearance, both in and out. The rain gave a fresh start.

I suddenly stiffened. I was no longer alone. Keeping my eyes closed to try and keep the appearence of bliss ignorance, I concentrated hard, trying to see if I could tell where the unseen watcher was. I was unsuccessful. The hidden eyes seemed to be coming from everywhere at once; a bad thing for a lone teenager in a strange place. A bush rustled to my right, but I didn't know if it was from the stalker or the wind that pushed the clouds to collisions over my head. A bush rustled off to my left and then I heard the sound of something walking towards me. Probably couldn't pass this one off as the storm...

Its' gait was slow, yet had a purpose and over the noise of the storm I thought I heard a difference between the front and back legs. Slowly, I cracked open an eye. When the hazel orb landed on the being in front of me, both eyes snapped open and I screamed.

Well, it was more of a squeal than a scream; a _very_ high pitched, loud squeal. There in front of me stood a massive creature, the top part of it's golden back probably came to my shoulder, and I was 5'11"! It had the body of a lion; up until the forearms which looked like giant eagle legs and talons. Giant eagle wings protruded from it's back; large, beautiful golden wings. The head of the creature was also shaped like an eagle's, all except the ears. They were longer than a lion's, almost horse-like and were covered in golden feathers.

"Oh my gosh! A gryphon!" I squealed, forgetting my previous fear and rushing up to the creature. Taking the poor guy by surprise was the only answer I could think of as to why the mystical being would allow a stranger close to it. Must've shocked the guy frozen to suddenly have a squealing girl in his personal space and looking him over -closely- up and down. Gosh, I was acting like an obsessed fangirl. I gave a small grin at my inward thoughts. But it's a gryphon! How could you _not _be obsessed?!

A deep voice snapped me back into the present. The gryphon! It was talking to me!

"Daughter of Eve, may I ask what you are doing?" the mystical creature said smoothly. I just about squealed again, but thankfully held it in. I normally wasn't like this. I was normally a cool, level headed young woman. A sarcastic one, perhaps, but cool and level headed all the same. ...Except for a few hours ago when I bolted in a random direction because I had no idea where I was...then ended up getting myself more lost...but that was in the past. Albeit, the _recent_ past, but the past nonetheless. And didn't we all grow up learning not to dwell on the past? So, all things considered, I was a cool, level headed young woman still!

"Daughter of Eve?" the gryphon asked. Snap, I kept spacing off. I'd have to quit doing that if I wanted to keep a level head. Because I was a cool, level headed person.

"Daughter of Eve!" the deep voice said firmly, impatience coloring it's tone, and this time, the statement was accompanied by a nudge to my shoulder by the massive beats' beak. Dangit! I spaced out again!

"I'm sorry," I apologized before my brain could space out for the fourth time, "...what did you say?" Sharp, golden eyes found mine and I inhaled sharply at their intensity. Amusement, irritation, confusion, curiosity...they all battled for dominance in the liquid golden orbs that bored into my hazel ones. I'd died and gone to heaven.

"Are you alright, Daughter of Eve?" the gryphon asked, taking a step closer and looking closely over my drenched form. Good thing none of my clothes were white... Nope, they were all black; black jeans, a black tank top with the Batsymbol in yellow and black, black Converse Allstar shoes, even black undergarments. I looked like I was ready for a spy mission. I shivered violently as the wind grew a bit colder as the afternoon turned into night. I also looked like a drowned rat. But a very stylish drowned rat...

Another nudge to my shoulder snapped me away from my thoughts. I sighed inwardly. I _really_needed to stop spacing out. I turned to the gryphon who had nudged for my attention.

"Are you alright?" the gryphon repeated. Concern added itself to the myriad of emotions swirling in the gryphon's golden pools. I nodded. I was fine. Freezing my butt off, but fine. The gryphon looked into my eyes and seemed to be searching for something.

After a moment he softly accused, "You're cold." I looked down at my shivering body and then met the golden orbs that were waiting for a response. I grinned, my teeth visibly chattering.

"I'm almost numb. I really can't feel the cold all that much anymore." Golden eyes widened then narrowed and I involuntarily took a small step back. The golden griffon looked off to his left.

"Thanos!" he called into the brush and presently I saw a dark shadow detach itself from the surrounding blackness. A slightly larger black gryphon walked over to us and I gaped.

"Death," I whispered in awe and both gryphons looked at me in obvious surprise. The black one pinned my down with a searching emerald gaze.

"You know what my name means," he stated, more than asked. I nodded.

"I used to get bored at home a lot so I'd search a bunch of names and memorize their meanings. I know quite a few in Greek." I turned to the golden gryphon.

"What's your name?" I asked, curious. The gryphon looked a little embarrased and I inwardly grinned. He was so cute!

"Calix," he murmured. I amazingly heard it over the noise of the storm. I laughed, my eyes sparkling in amusement and mischief.

"Very Handsome, huh? Well, certainly sums you up." If gryphons could blush... Thanos shook his head, though I swore a flash of amusement flashed across his jade eyes.

"We need to get the Daughter of Eve to a dry place," Thanos said to Calix. The golden gryphon looked at me and nodded, embarrassment forgotten.

"Climb onto my back, Daughter of Eve," Calix said, taking a few steps forward so I was now by his side. My eyes widened and my mouth dropped.

"You want me to...to get on your back?!" I asked in astonishment. This was too cool to be true... Calix looked over his shoulder at me.

"Is there a problem, Daughter of Eve?" I shook my head and grinned.

"No, no problem at all. I'm just...surprised is all. And please, call me Jessica," I added when Calix opened his beak again. All this 'Daughter of Eve' stuff was starting to wear me down. I attempted to climb onto the strong golden back in front of me, but didn't quite make it; any of the three times I tried. I thought the 'Three Time's the Charm' thing would help me out a bit. Guess not.

"Would you like some help, Daughter of Eve?" Thanos asked from behind me. I turned to face the black gryphon behind me and rolled my eyes good naturedly.

"Uh, yeah. That would've been helpful like...five minutes ago, bud," I grinned. Thanos again shook his head and took a step forward to apparently help me up. I backed up a step, bumping into Calix a bit. Both gryphons looked at me in confusion, though looking closely, I thought I saw hurt flash through Thanos' green eyes. That's all his emotions were; flashes. And half the time I was not completely sure I'd seen them in the first place.

"Daughter of Eve," Thanos began but I cut him off.

"Dude, it's Jessica. Call me Jessica. I'm had enough of the whole 'Daughter of Eve' thing. I have a name, you know," I huffed, though I was not truly irritated. Thanos cocked his head slightly and I couldn't help a soft 'Aww!' from escaping my throat. Calix chuckled and I blushed slightly. Totally didn't mean for that to come out...

"Turn around, Dau--Jessica," Thanos said finally and I obediently spun back around. I jumped slightly as his giant feathered head pressed into my lower back, both pushing and lifting me onto Calix's back at the same time. Once I'd gotten on to the same _level_as Calix's back, I clambered on to straddle his massive back.

"Sit farther up," Thanos instructed me, giving me slight pushes until I began to move on my own. Thanos kept me moving until I was seated directly behind Calix's head.

"Calix's head will block the wind," Thanos said, an almost indiscernible gleam of amusement shining in his eyes. The gryphon underneath me shifted.

"Ooh...did the emotionless gryphon just crack a joke?" he asked in mock astonishment. Thanos just gave an eagle-eyed glare and suddenly took a running jump into the sky. Calix chuckled at his comrade's actions.

"Hang on, Jessica," the golden gryphon said right before he too, took a running jump into the sky. I squealed and flung my arms as far as I could around his neck. I could feel his neck vibrate as Calix gave a small laugh.

"Better hang on, tigher," he said in amusement, "We gotta catch up." With that said, Calix put on an extra burst of speed and soon, we were flying side by side with the black gryphon. The cold wind and rain in my face stung this high up and so I buried my head into the golden feathers of Calix's neck. I was so cold...

"Calix," Thanos suddenly said after looking me over, "I think that the Daughter of Eve needs to be someplace warm. Now." I felt Calix turn his head, though I don't think he could see me as I was burrowed into his warm neck feathers.

"Thanos," I muttered and amazingly the giant black gryphon turned his head towards me. Man, he had to have great hearing...I'd have to be careful in the future. "Remember what I said on the ground?" Thanos shook his head and gave what I assumed was his equivalent of a snort.

"Apologies. Claix," he began again, "I think that _Jessica_ needs to be on the ground and warm, _now_." I nodded along with the Gryphon of Death.

"That'd be nice," I murmured, invisioning a nice, hot bath and a warm, toasty bed. Man, did that sound good. Suddenly, without warning (the little creeps!) we were diving swiftly back down to the ground. I gave a small, unconscious moan as my stomach dropped and my skin was prickled with what felt like a thousand needles as the rain and wind beat down on us without mercy.

"You alright?" I heard Calix asked worriedly. I just nodded, not feeling like I could speak. I really just wanted to sleep.

Calix and Thanos both reached the ground and the great black gryphon walked over to me, letting me lean against his head while he helped me down. As soon as I reached the ground on my own two feet, I tried to lay down and curl into a ball. Thanos nudged me with his head.

"Come, Jessica, over there under the tall pine. It'll be drier for you," he said quietly. I nodded, too tired to really argue and went over to the tree he gestured to. Again, I tried to lay down, but this time, Calix interrupted my downward descent.

"Hang on there, Jessica," he said, forcefully shoving Thanos closer to me, "We'll lay down with you." I looked through half closed eyes at Calix in surprise while Thanos looked over at Calix in well disguised shock.

"You will?" I asked dubiously.

"We will?" Thanos echoed my question. Calix nodded to me and glared at Thanos.

"We will," the golden gryphon said decisively. Thanos looked from me, to Calix and then back to me before suddenly shaking vigorously off all the rain from his body and walking quickly, yet at the same time hesitantly, over to my side underneath the pine. With a soft grunt, the black beast laid down behind me. I immediately scooted back into his warmth, my shivering body pressed up against his warm one. Calix just looked at us for a moment before shaking himself out too and coming to lie down in front of me. He shifted until I was gently sandwiched in between the two large gryphons; perfectly content and now warm.

With a content sigh, I snuggled into their warmth, hoping to keep my eyes open for just a little while longer. I didn't want to loose any minute of this. How often could this ever happen?

"Sleep, young one," Thanos said quietly as he rested his massive head down on the ground out in front of him. Calix also lowered his head, but tucked it in to his side, right next to me. I gave a small smile and slipped into the welcoming darkness.

I loved the rain.


	2. A Tragic Mistake

**Decided I was going to add on to this one after all!! And don't worry, this isn't the last chapter. Just figured that the ending of this chapter was as good a place to end as any... Keep your eye out for chapter 3!!**

**Thank you, Ilonwy for reviewing! Here's the second chapter for you!**

**:A Tragic Mistake:**

I stirred the next morning, warm sunshine on my face and birds chirping in the tree above me. I'd never had such a restful sleep. Yawning, I blearily opened my eyes, squinting in the bright morning sunshine. I was alone underneath the tree, my two gryphon companions no where in sight. I shrugged and slowly sat up, gaping in awe at the scenery that surrounded me.

This place, wherever I was, was breathtakingly beautiful. Everything seemed to stand out in bright, vivid colors. The sky was the deepest baby-blue I'd ever seen while the grass underneath and all around me seemed to shimmer in the morning sun. The tall, greenest tress I'd ever seen swayed gently in a warm, almost non-existent wind. Beautiful.

"Admiring the scenery?" a deep voice said from behind me. I jumped slightly, jerking my head to see behind my shoulder. My gryphons! Thanos stood slightly in front of Calix and both seemed to be amused at my reaction, although Thanos hid it better. I blushed a bit and nodded.

"Yes," I murmured, turning back around to continue my gazing at the surroundings. I heard one of them walk up behind me and a second later, Calix stood beside me.

"Narnia is exceptionally beautiful this time of year," he commented, looking himself at the picture perfect landscape. I stiffened. Narnia? Where the heck was I?! Geographically speaking. I now knew I was in Narnia, whatever that was, but I didn't know where on the map that was located. I'd certainly never heard of it before and I was a junior in an American high school! There was no country out there, or even a small land mass, that America wasn't aware of. Especially a land mass that housed gryphons...and talking ones at that. Holy crap! Why didn't I think of all of this last night?! Oh yeah...I was lost, scared, confused and showing signs of fangirlish tendencies whenever I saw or spoke to my two gryphon friends. I groaned. I _really_ needed to start paying more attention to my surroundings...

"Is something the matter, Daughter of...I mean, Jessica?" Calix asked suddenly, apparently a bit worried about my tension and the self depreciating noises I was making. I hesitated then shook my head.

"No, nothing's wrong. Just trying to place Narnia on a mental map. Trying to see how far away I am from my home," I answered finally, lying through my teeth. Of course there was something wrong! I was in some strange..._land_that housed talking gryphons! But...perhaps this had just been under wraps or something; like a top secret government project or something. Yeah, that sounded good and called for less panicking...although it didn't explain how I had gotten from my backyard to the strange forest I was in last night, suddenly waking up in strange place. Sleep walking perhaps?

Calix cocked his head.

"You're not from Narnia?" he asked, surprise and curiosity coloring his tone. I shook my head.

"No, I'm not. I don't remember ever hearing of Narnia either. But," I added, seeing his eyes widen in disbelief, for how could anyone _not_ know of Narnia?, "I could very well be mistaken. Perhaps you could tell me the names of the surrounding countries? Might help to jog my memory."

Calix gave, what I assumed, was the equivalent of a small grin. With his beak, it was a bit harder to tell. Only the very corners of his beak tweaked upwards; right where the beak met with the skin on this side of his mouth.

"Sure," he said happily, settling down a bit next to me. Once he was comfortable, he began. I realized after the first two countries that I was screwed.

"Well, directly south of Narnia, boardering on the Great Desert is the country, Archenland. And to our southeast is the great empire of Calormen. There are many countries inside the Underland, too many for me to name right now, and there are many islands in the Eastern Sea and other bodies of oceans," Calix explained. As more and more unfamiliar names of unfamiliar countries made themselves known, I felt my eyes grow wider and wider. The blood drained out of my face and froze in my very veins. My limbs began to shake uncontrollably and I my mind began to panic on overdrive.

...Where was I?...

I'd never heard of these places before! And I was pretty sure that the inhabitants of these strangely named places wouldn't know of the countries I could name off either. Oh man...this was worse than the Wizard of Oz! At least when Dorothy wound up in Oz, she had her dog. I didn't even have my favorite dust bunny! ...But I did have gryphons... That had to count for something.

"Are you alright, Jessica?" The concerned voice snapped me out of my thoughts. But not my panic.

"I-I don't know where I am," I said quietly, my eyes darting all around me. _Something_ had to look familiar! It just _had _to!

"You're in Narnia," Calix responded, looking at me oddly, "Haven't you been listening to me?" I shook my head.

"You don't understand," I said, feeling my chest swell up with anxiety at my hopelessness, "I'm not from around here. Not from _anywhere_ around here! I don't know where I am or how to get home!" I suddenly jumped up and began to pace frantically. I was so worked up, I didn't feel both gryphon's eyes locked on my distressed form, nor did I see them move closer.

"What if I'm stuck here?" I murmured, more to myself than to anyone else, "What if I can't get home? I don't have red, sparkling shoes to tap three times to send me back! What am I going to do? Where am I going to go? I've got no one here that I can stay with; no home at all. And how did I get here in the first place?! If I don't know how I got here, how can I possibly figure out a way to get back home?!"

By this time, my pacing had become erotic and border-line hysterical. My arms were flailing as my panicked induced brain just keep coming up with questions of where I was and what I was going to do; questions that I didn't have answer to. Large tears began to roll down my cheeks. I normally didn't cry this much; I barely cried at all, but I figured that getting lost in some place that you've never even _heard_ of counted as a good situation to cry in. A great situation actually.

A gentle nudge to my back sent me spinning around to look fearfully at whoever had snuck up behind me. I relaxed slightly as I realized it was just Calix, Thanos not far behind him, though I was still panicking. What the heck was I going to do?!

"Jessica, are you alright?" Calix asked softly. I opened my mouth to reply, but with my throat so choked up and my brain on panic mode, no sound issued forth. Luckily, Thanos stepped in and answered for me.

"You heard her mumbling as well as I, Calix," the black gryphon said to the golden one, "She doesn't know where she is in proximity to her homeland and doesn't know anyone here. She has nowhere to stay and no way to get home. I think that would all sum up to be: No, she's not alright." Calix gave an irritated snort at Thanos and then looked me over a few times. Finally, he nodded.

"She'll come with us, then," he said firmly to Thanos. Like last night, I looked at Calix dubiously.

"I will?" I asked him, wiping off the tears with the back of my hand. Unlike last night however, Thanos didn't echo my question. Instead, he answered it.

"Yes, Jessica," the black gryphon said, just as firmly as his counterpart, "You're coming with us." I stared slack-jawed at the both of them.

"What!?" I asked in disbelief, my panic pushed to the back of my mind for the moment where it lingered, but didn't draw my full attention. Normally, when faced with my disbelief, the gryphons would ask if everything was alright. At least, that was what had happened last night. This time however, they didn't leave any room for discussion.

"You're coming with us, Jessica," Thanos repeated, nodding to Calix who walked over and stopped by my side. Thanos too, walked over and stood behind me.

"Turn around," the black gryphon said. His tone left no room for arguing, disbelief or hesitation. Obediently, I did as I was told, my mind trying to catch up with the events, and was helped onto Calix's back as I had been before. When I was settled, we took off into the sky, to...where were we going?

"Calix," I murmured into the golden gryphon's neck feathers, "Where are you guys taking me?" Calix was quick to reply.

"Back to our home. You said yourself you had nobody and nowhere to stay, so we're taking you to our place. You'll be safe there. There are three others that help us guard the place and take turns with the hunting and stuff. You won't ever be alone," he replied, tilting his wings a bit to catch more of the wind current.

"But will I be welcome?" I muttered, in a soft voice that only I could hear. I forgot about their super hearing. I felt the gryphon under me jerk in surprise and felt Thanos' burning green gaze on the back of my head. Tarter sauce...they weren't supposed to have heard that.

"Of course you'll be welcome!" Calix sputtered, apparently shocked that I would think otherwise. Hey, I was a teenager. In high school. I knew that problems and often resentment awaited those who tried to push their way or were even welcomed into the group. If the whole group didn't agree on it together, there were bound to be a few who resented the new guy. I'd felt that resentment enough at home...I didn't need it here too.

'Oh well,' I mused, 'I might as well just be grateful that they are even thinking of taking me to their home.' I sighed and settled down a bit more into the warm feathers in front of me. I tried to ignore Thanos' scrutinizing gaze that had yet to leave the back of my head. It really wasn't working.

"Is there a reason why you're staring at me?" I muttered crossly to Thanos. I didn't like feeling like something under a microscope...I hated it when people stared at me.

"Yes," Thanos replied calmly. I gritted my teeth.

"And that reason would be...?" I asked forcefully. Thanos growled, though he said nothing.

"Oh, that's a great answer," I snorted sarcastically, "I'll be sure to keep that response in mind in case someone asks _me_why I'm staring at them like they're some kind of disease." A louder growl came from the black gryphon, but it didn't deter me. I kept at it.

"What? Don't like it when people talk back and actually question why a great gryphon like yourself with a gruesome name is staring at them?" I wasn't sure why I was talking like this to him. He'd been nothing but kind to me, but the uncertainty of my future as well as finding out that I didn't even seem to be in the same _world_ that I had been in only yesterday was starting to wear on me. Scratch that. It _**had**_ worn on me and now I was lashing out at the nearest beings I could find. They just happened to be the only ones I'd seen and the ones who were showing me kindness and letting me stay in their home. I needed to stop and apologize. I didn't want to mess this up.

"We're opening up our home to you! The least you could do is try to be civil!" Thanos growled dangerously. My common sense told me to just apologize and admit I was in the wrong, but my pride and my sarcastic side spurred me on.

"You don't have to open up your home to me," I growled back. Calix under me suddenly tensed and I realized what I'd done. _Oh no._ A growl rumbled _beneath me _this time.

"You're right, Daughter of Eve. We don't," Calix said, voice dripping with acid. I flinched at his tone and his calling me 'Daughter of Eve'. He was angry with me. And I didn't blame him. I was angry with myself. Anger was replaced with the cold rush of fear as Calix suddenly nose-dived towards the ground.

_They weren't going to leave me down there, were they?_ I began to panic and almost shouted out for them to stop; almost begged them to take me to their home. But then I remembered _why_ they were taking me to the ground. Suddenly, all fight left me and depression took its' place. I deserved this. I wouldn't burden them anymore. They'd been nothing but kind to me; they didn't deserve to be treated like this.

Calix landed on the ground roughly and before I could blink, I was practically thrown off his back. I landed hard on the ground with a sound thud, pain shooting through my wrist. Looking down, I saw why. I'd landed wrong; my wrist bent at a very unnatural angle. Tears sprang to my eyes, both from the pain and from what was happening. I'd offended the only creatures I knew and the only creatures _ever_to show me such undeserved, immediate kindness. I deserved this and more, but I kept the tears at bay. I didn't want to burden my gryphons anymore.

Thanos landed a second later, the ground shaking underneath me from the impact.

"Goodbye, Daughter of Eve," the black gryphon spat angrily, his eyes spitting hellfire at me. I bowed my head in shame. What had I done? Calix tried to speak, but only incoherent noises escaped his throat. He finally just gave up, spreading his wings and leaving the ground in a flurry. Thanos growled once more, then he too took off into the sky. Only when they were small dots in the midday sky did I allow the tears to escape.

"I'm sorry," I whispered miserably, my eyes trained on the dots growing steadily smaller and smaller. I doubted they could hear me, which is what I wanted. I didn't want them pitying me or feeling bad when I apologized, so I had kept it in until I was sure they couldn't hear me.

When they had finally vanished, the impact of what I'd done really set in. I was all alone. Again. But this time was even worse; this time I'd had a chance to be with creatures I knew and I'd ruined it.

I sat there in a messy, dirty heap for hours, not moving. What was the point? I had even less of an idea of where I was now, and had no idea what was in the surrounding area. I grew up in modern day America...I had no experience with hunting and gathering food or telling which foods were poisonous and which were not. What was the point of wandering into the nearby forest just to get lost and freaked out again?

However, as dusk began to approach, my stomach began to violently protest the absence of food. I thought back to the last few days and realized with a start that I had had nothing to eat since lunch yesterday. I was famished. Moving to stand, I tried to bite back a scream of pain. It didn't work as well as I had hoped. Fresh tears ran down my cheeks as I put accidental pressure on my injured wrist. I cradled the injured limb to my chest and slid to the ground.

Screw getting food. Right now, all I wanted to do was sleep. Against my better judgement, I tried to do just that. My eyes closed and I curled into a little ball, right where I had been left by Calix and Thanos, my wrist still cradled protectively to my chest. I took a few deep breaths to try and still my crying, but it didn't help much. My body heaved with my sobs and my whole body ached.

Night began to creep up on me and found me still curled in ball, but wide awake. Between the pain in my wrist, the violent shivers that wracked my freezing and weak body and the strange night noises that the forest made, I couldn't find it within myself to close my eyes. Although as it got darker, I couldn't see anything with them open, it made me feel better to think that perhaps I'd see the movement of some killer animal before it got to me. Not that I'd be able to make much of an escape; not in the shape I was in, but it made me feel a bit better.

Hours passed like this; me laying awake, freezing, exhausted, and in excruciating pain, but awake nonetheless. Finally, dawn's light began to cut through the darkness of the night. Gradually, the sky turned lighter, the nocturnal noises of the forest faded away and happy, chirping birds replaced them. Everything was awakening, ready for another glorious day.

Everything but me. I'd never felt so worn out and miserable in my entire life. My mind had kept me scared throughout the whole night, conjuring up frightful, sickening images of what could happen to me in the dark in a strange place surrounded by an equally dark and strange forest.

Now, however, as the dawn chased away the dark, I began to relax. The pain in my wrist had reduced to a dull, continuous throbbing; only moving it spurred a fiery stab of pain. Once again, my eyes closed, just as the sun was rising, but this time, I fell asleep.


End file.
